CN115734746A

CN115734746A - Blood pressure measuring cuff

Info

Publication number: CN115734746A
Application number: CN202180044927.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 土井龙介; 谷口実; 松冈贵之; 椎名崇之; 今井曜; 小泽贤二; 田原知里
Original assignee: Omron Healthcare Co Ltd
Current assignee: Omron Healthcare Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-07-27
Filing date: 2021-07-07
Publication date: 2023-03-03
Also published as: US20230148882A1; WO2022024699A1; DE112021002739T5

Abstract

The invention provides a cuff for measuring blood pressure, which is convenient to use. A blood pressure measurement cuff (1) is provided with: a band-shaped body (10) which is formed by an outer cloth (11) and an inner cloth (12) opposite to the outer cloth (11) and an air bag (7) inside; an annular member (20) which is held at a position close to one end edge (it) of the strip-shaped body (10) in the longitudinal direction and extends in the short-dimension direction of the strip-shaped body (10); and an auxiliary member (40) which is housed inside a terminal region (Ee) between the end edge (it) of the band-shaped body (10) and the annular member (20), extends in the short-dimension direction, and the outer cloth (11) and the inner cloth (12) in the terminal region (Ee) are welded together while holding the auxiliary member (40).

Description

Blood pressure measuring cuff

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a blood pressure measurement cuff for a sphygmomanometer for measuring blood pressure.

Background

Patent document 1 describes a folding type compression band for a blood pressure measurement device. The compression band for a blood pressure measurement device has a structure in which a hook-and-loop fastener is sewn to the surface of an outer bag that houses an air bag. The outer bag of the compression band for a blood pressure measurement device is configured by welding the outer member and the inner member. One end of the compression band for a blood pressure measurement device is provided with a ring member for passing and folding the other end of the compression band for a blood pressure measurement device. The ring member is held so that a part thereof is sandwiched between the outer member and the inner member. The ring member is supported by the outer bag by folding one end of the compression band for a blood pressure measurement device back toward the inner member and sewing the folded end.

Patent document 2 describes a cuff for measuring blood pressure. The blood pressure measurement cuff includes a bag-shaped band-shaped body formed by fusing a fluffed outer cloth and an inner cloth. Hook and loop fasteners are arranged inside the hook and loop fastener. A ring member for passing one end of the band-like body is fitted to the outer cloth by a ring fitting member. The ring fitting member is formed by folding back a cloth material similar to the outer cloth so as to surround one edge of the ring member, and sewing the folded-back portion to the remaining flat portion. The hook-and-loop fastener can be engaged with the portion which looks like the front surface side of the loop attachment member is raised. As for the flat portion of the ring fitting member, a structure welded to the outer cloth is disclosed.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 06031859

Patent document 2: japanese patent No. 06098237

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

As in patent documents 1 and 2, in the structure of the band-shaped body provided with the ring member, there is a case where a region in which a plate-shaped member having a certain degree of rigidity is present is provided on the outer side in the longitudinal direction of the band-shaped body than the ring member. The region is provided to prevent the loop member from directly contacting the site to be measured and to improve the fitting property during winding. However, this region sometimes enters a gap of the ring member or enters the inside in a bent manner when being worn. As a result, the band may feel pain when it is worn.

The invention aims to provide a blood pressure measuring cuff which does not feel pain caused by a tail end area of a belt-shaped body when being mounted and is convenient to use.

Technical scheme

(1)

A cuff for measuring blood pressure is provided with: a band-shaped body formed by a first skin member and a second skin member facing the first skin member, the second skin member enclosing a fluid bag; an annular member held at a position close to one end edge in the longitudinal direction of the strip body and extending in the short-side direction of the strip body; and an auxiliary member that is housed inside a distal end region between the one end edge in the longitudinal direction and the annular member in the band-shaped body and extends in the short-side direction, the first skin member and the second skin member in the distal end region being welded or bonded with the auxiliary member interposed therebetween.

According to (1), the first skin member and the second skin member near the end region of the annular member are welded or bonded with the auxiliary member interposed therebetween, and therefore the rigidity of the end region can be improved. As a result, the end region can be prevented from passing through the annular member. Therefore, the compression of the measurement site can be prevented in a state where the annular member touches the measurement site. In addition, the sewing portion at one end in the longitudinal direction of the band-shaped body can be reduced by welding or bonding. Therefore, durability can be improved, and not only productivity but also appearance quality can be improved.

(2)

The blood pressure measurement cuff according to (1), wherein a welded region or an adhered region of the first skin member and the second skin member in the distal end region is formed so as to surround the auxiliary member.

According to (2), in the tip region, the welding region or the adhesion region is formed so as to surround the auxiliary member, so that the rigidity of the tip region can be effectively improved.

(3)

The blood pressure measurement cuff according to (1) or (2), wherein the annular member is attached so as to be sandwiched by the first skin member and the second skin member, and the first skin member and the second skin member are further welded or bonded in an adjacent region that is adjacent to the annular member and is on the opposite side of the distal end region with the annular member interposed therebetween.

According to (3), the annular member is held so as to be surrounded by the end region and the adjacent region formed by welding or adhesion. Therefore, the fitting can be performed with the gap for holding the annular member reduced, and the movable range of the annular member can be sufficiently reduced. As a result, the end region can be more strongly prevented from passing through the annular member.

(4)

The blood pressure measurement cuff according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein a width of the tip region in the longitudinal direction is larger than a gap between the band-shaped body and the annular member located outside the band-shaped body.

According to (4), the width of the end region is larger than the gap, so that the end region can be more strongly prevented from passing through the annular member.

(5)

The blood pressure measurement cuff according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein a surface of the first skin member on the auxiliary member side in the distal end region is fixedly connected to the auxiliary member.

According to (5), the occurrence of stick-slip between the first skin member and the auxiliary member can be suppressed, and the blood pressure measurement accuracy can be improved.

(6)

The blood pressure measurement cuff according to (5), wherein the first skin member is a member on a side not in contact with the measurement site in a state in which the band-shaped body is wrapped and fixed around the measurement site, and the second skin member is a member on a side in contact with the measurement site in the state.

According to (6), the occurrence of stick-slip between the first skin member and the auxiliary member can be suppressed, and the blood pressure measurement accuracy can be improved.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a blood pressure measurement cuff that is convenient to use and does not feel pain at the time of attachment due to the end region of the band.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blood pressure measurement cuff according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the outside.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blood pressure measurement cuff shown in fig. 1, as viewed from the direction of the inner side surface.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the blood pressure measurement cuff shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 isbase:Sub>A sectional view ofbase:Sub>A portion along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the outer cloth and the inner cloth of the blood pressure measurement cuff shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state before welding of the first hook-and-loop fastener when the blood pressure measurement cuff shown in fig. 1 is manufactured.

Fig. 7 is a schematic enlarged sectional view showing a welded state of the first hook-and-loop fastener shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing an end portion of the blood pressure measurement cuff shown in fig. 1 on the side where the second hook-and-loop fastener is provided.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a portion along the line B-B of fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing a distal end region in the blood pressure measurement cuff shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the tip region shown in fig. 10 taken along line C-C.

Fig. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the blood pressure measurement cuff shown in fig. 1 is attached to a measurement site.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing a modification of the end region in the blood pressure measurement cuff shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the tip region shown in fig. 13 taken along line C-C.

Detailed Description

(overview of bioacoustic measurement device according to the embodiment)

First, an outline of an embodiment of the blood pressure measurement cuff of the present invention will be described. The blood pressure measurement cuff of the embodiment forms a terminal region between an annular member held close to an end edge of a band-shaped body and the end edge by welding having an auxiliary member inside. This improves the rigidity of the end region, prevents the end region from passing through the endless member, and improves the wearability of the belt-like body.

Hereinafter, a specific configuration example of the blood pressure measurement cuff of the embodiment will be described. The two members to be described below may be welded by various methods such as thermal welding, high-frequency welding, or ultrasonic welding.

(embodiment mode)

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blood pressure measurement cuff 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the outside. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 shown in fig. 1, as viewed from the direction of the inner side surface. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 shown in fig. 1. Fig. 4 isbase:Sub>A sectional view ofbase:Sub>A portion along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A of fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the outer fabric 11 and the inner fabric 12 of the cuff 1 for blood pressure measurement shown in fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 includes a band 10, and the band 10 includes: an outer cloth 11 constituting a first skin member; and an inner cloth 12 constituting a second skin member facing the outer cloth 11. The outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 are partially fixed to each other, and a housing space SP (see fig. 4) is formed therein. An air bladder 7 constituting a fluid bladder is accommodated in the accommodation space SP. The fluid bag is a bag capable of supplying and discharging a fluid such as air, and is inflated by the supply of the fluid. The air bag 7 can supply and discharge air as a fluid.

The strip-shaped body 10 is wound around an upper arm M (see fig. 12) as a measurement site and extends in the circumferential direction of the upper arm M. The circumferential direction in this state is the longitudinal direction of the strip 10, and the axial direction of the upper arm M is the short-dimension direction (width direction) of the strip 10. Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the strip 10 is simply referred to as the longitudinal direction, and the short direction of the strip 10 is simply referred to as the short direction.

The inner cloth 12 constitutes a surface on the side contacting the upper arm M in the attached state of the upper arm M shown in fig. 12. The outer cloth 11 constitutes a surface facing the opposite side of the upper arm M side in the attached state of the upper arm M shown in fig. 12. In the present embodiment, one end edge in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped body 10 is referred to as an end edge it, and the other end edge in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped body 10 is referred to as an end edge ut. The outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 have the following structures: the periphery of the bag is joined by welding as described later, thereby forming an outer bag body, and the air bag 7 is positioned inside the bag body. In the present embodiment, the region where the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 are welded is indicated by a welded region Wp. The welding region Wp constitutes a first welding region.

As shown in fig. 5, the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 are each, for example, of a multilayer construction. The inner cloth 12 includes: a first member 12u having a sheet shape and made of polyester cloth, nylon cloth, or the like knitted to have a large stretchability in order to press the measurement site; and a second member 12i, which is sheet-like, is bonded to the inner side (the storage space SP side) of the first member 12u, and is formed of a PVC (polyvinyl chloride) film or the like. The first member 12u constitutes a surface member. The second member 12i constitutes a back member.

The outer cloth 11 includes: a first member 11u in the form of a sheet, which is made of polyester cloth or nylon cloth knitted so as to have an extremely small stretchability (substantially non-stretchability) as compared with the inner cloth 12; and a second member 11i, which is sheet-like, is bonded to the inside (the storage space SP side) of the first member 11u, and is formed of a PVC film or the like. The outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 each have a multilayer structure, which is effective in adjusting the stretchability and strength of each.

The second member 11i of the outer cloth 11 and the second member 12i of the inner cloth 12 may be made of materials suitable for welding. Examples of such a material include a material containing a resin such as a thermoplastic resin. The welded region Wp is formed by welding the second member 11i and the second member 12 i.

As shown in fig. 3, the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 is configured such that the following members are inserted between an outer fabric 11 and an inner fabric 12: a first hook and loop fastener 5; a second hook and loop fastener 8 having a smaller planar area than the planar area of the first hook and loop fastener 5; a bag sheet member 9 for forming the air bag 7; an oblong annular member 20; a stopper tube (stopper tube) 30; and a plate-shaped auxiliary member 40.

The outer cloth 11 is formed with: a first opening 15 having a rectangular opening; and a second opening 18 which is a rectangular opening smaller than the first opening 15. The shape of each of the first opening 15 and the second opening 18 is rectangular, but the shape is not limited thereto, and any shape may be adopted. The second opening 18 is provided near an end edge ut of the strip 10. The first opening 15 is provided between the second opening 18 and the end edge it of the strip 10. As shown in fig. 4, the first opening 15 and the second opening 18 are formed in the portion of the outer fabric 11 where the housing space SP is formed.

The first hook-and-loop fastener 5 is provided in correspondence with the first opening 15. The first hook-and-loop fastener 5 is welded to the outer cloth 11 in a state where the first opening portion 15 is closed from the storage space SP side. In the present specification, the region of the outer cloth 11 to which the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 is welded is denoted by a welded region Wpf 1. In the example of fig. 1 and 2, the welding area Wpf1 has a substantially rectangular frame shape. The welded region Wpf constitutes a third welded region.

A portion of the welded region Wpf1 located on the end edge ut side and extending in the short-dimension direction is referred to as a welded region Wpf b. A portion of the welded region Wpf1 located at the end it side and extending in the short-dimension direction is referred to as a welded region Wpf d. The portions of the welded regions Wpf that extend in the longitudinal direction and are located at both ends in the longitudinal direction are referred to as welded regions Wpf a and Wpf1c.

A raised surface 5k is formed as a fastening surface on the surface of the first hook-and-loop fastener 5. The first hook-and-loop fastener 5 is welded to the outer cloth 11 from the inside (the storage space SP side) of the band 10 in a state where the raised surface 5k thereof is exposed from the first opening 15.

The second hook-and-loop fastener 8 is provided in the second opening 18. The second hook-and-loop fastener 8 is welded to the outer cloth 11 in a state of closing the second opening 18 from the storage space SP side. In this specification, a region of the outer fabric 11 to which the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 is welded is denoted by a welded region Wpf 2. In the example of fig. 1 and 2, the welding area Wpf2 has a substantially rectangular frame shape.

A hook surface 8k is formed on the surface of the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 as a fastening surface engageable with the raised surface 5k. The second hook-and-loop fastener 8 is welded to the outer cloth 11 from the inside of the band 10 with the hook surface 8k thereof exposed from the second opening 18. The area of the raised surface 5k of the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 exposed from the first opening 15 is larger than the area of the hook surface 8k of the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 exposed from the second opening 18.

In this way, the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 and the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 are provided such that the raising surface 5k and the hook surface 8k are exposed to the outer surface side of the band 10. Therefore, when the band-like body 10 is folded back and wound around the upper arm portion M on the end edge ut side using the ring-like member 20, the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 and the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 can be engaged with each other.

As shown in fig. 4, the bag sheet member 9 is welded to the inner cloth 12 on the surface (the second member 12 i) on the storage space SP side. The bag sheet member 9 is a sheet member made of a material having high stretchability. The material of the bag sheet member 9 is not particularly limited, but a material containing a resin is preferably used, and for example, PVC may be more preferably used.

The bag sheet member 9 is welded to the inner surface (second member 12 i) of the inner cloth 12 at a predetermined position on the inner cloth 12 so that the peripheral edge portion extends over the entire periphery. Thereby, an airtight space is formed by the bag sheet member 9 and the inner cloth 12. The airtight space functions as an air bladder 7. In the present specification, the region of the inner cloth 12 to which the bag-use sheet member 9 is welded is indicated by a welded region Wps. In the example of fig. 1 and 2, the welding region Wps has a substantially rectangular frame shape. The welding region Wps constitutes a second welding region. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the welding area Wps is formed inside the welding area Wp between the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 forming the housing space SP.

The bag sheet member 9 is provided with a pipe connection portion 7b capable of supplying and discharging air to and from the airtight space. The tube connection portion 7b is a portion to which an air tube at connected to a main body (not shown) of the sphygmomanometer is connected.

The bag sheet member 9 is disposed eccentrically toward the end edge it of the storage space SP. In the strip-like member 10, the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 is provided on the edge it side and has a large area. Therefore, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 has an overlapping region P overlapping with the bag sheet member 9.

As shown in fig. 1, the portions (the welding region Wpf a and the welding region Wpf c) in the vertical direction in the figure, which extend in the longitudinal direction, of the welding region Wpf (the substantially U-shaped portion in the example in the figure) with the outer cloth 11 in the overlap region P of the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 are located on the inner side in the short-dimension direction than the portions in the vertical direction in the figure, which extend in the longitudinal direction, in the welding region Wps. Further, a portion on the left side in the drawing (welding region Wpf d) in the welding region Wpf extending in the short-dimension direction in the overlapping region P with the outer cloth 11 of the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 is located inside the welding region Wps. That is, most of the welding region Wpf1 in the overlapping region P is a structure that is located inside the welding region Wps and does not substantially overlap the welding region Wps.

Fig. 6 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state before the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 is welded when the cuff 1 for blood pressure measurement is manufactured.

As shown in fig. 6, in the first hook-and-loop fastener 5, the peripheral edge side portion 5e of the raised surface 5k faces the opening peripheral edge portion 15e of the first opening 15 in a state before welding. In this state, the outer fabric 11 is welded by applying a predetermined pressure to the welding head WH of the welding machine. That is, in a state where the peripheral edge side portion 5e of the raised surface 5k and the second member 11i of the opening peripheral edge portion 15e are pressed at a predetermined pressure, the second member 11i of the opening peripheral edge portion 15e is melted, and the peripheral edge side portion 5e of the raised surface 5k enters the melted portion of the second member 11 i.

Fig. 7 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view showing a welded state of the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 shown in fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 7, the opening peripheral edge portion 15e of the first opening 15 and the peripheral edge side portion 5e of the raised surface 5k are in a welded state in which the raised surface 5k sinks into the opening peripheral edge portion 15 e. Therefore, as compared with the ordinary flat surface welding, the structure of the raised surface 5k shows that the second member 11i can be easily entangled with the raised surface 5k by the welding, the engaging area can be increased, and the engaging force can be more firmly maintained.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the first hook and loop fastener 5 has the following structure: a raised surface 5k is formed on the fastener base 5b, and a fastener back surface member 5c is fixed to the opposite surface of the raised surface 5k of the fastener base 5b with an adhesive or the like. The position of the tip end surface of the raised surface 5k on the opposite side to the fastener base 5b side is preferably located closer to the outer surface side of the outer cloth 11 than the position of the half thickness of the first member 11u of the outer cloth 11, and more preferably the same position as the outer surface of the outer cloth 11. By so doing, the joining of the first hook and loop fastener 5 and the second hook and loop fastener 8 can be performed well. In addition, the appearance quality of the cuff can be improved.

The fastener back member 5c may use a raw material having the same stretchability as the first member 11u or lower than the first member 11 u. The fastener back member 5c may be made of canvas, polyester cloth, PVC film, or the like. By selecting the material of the fastener rear face member 5c, it is possible to appropriately compensate for changes in the stretchability, strength, and the like of the outer cloth 11 due to the formation of the first opening 15 in the outer cloth 11.

The second hook-and-loop fastener 8 may be configured to have a fastener back member as in the first hook-and-loop fastener 5, but is preferably configured as described below.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing an end edge ut side of the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 shown in fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 8, the hook surface 8k of the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 is provided inside the fusion zone Wpf2 at substantially the same height as the fusion zone Wpf or slightly lower than the fusion zone Wpf. As will be described later, the stopper (stopper) 30b on the end edge ut side of the strip-shaped body 10 is a thick-walled portion that is necessary to prevent the end edge ut of the strip-shaped body 10 from falling off the annular member 20.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a portion along the line B-B of fig. 8.

As shown in fig. 9, the second hook and loop fastener 8 is configured as follows: unlike the first hook-and-loop fastener 5, no fastener back member is provided on the opposite side of the hook face 8k. That is, the second hook and loop fastener 8 is constituted only by the fastener base member 8b formed with the hook face 8k. In the second hook-and-loop fastener 8, similarly to the first hook-and-loop fastener 5, the peripheral edge side of the hook surface 8k that comes into contact with the second member 11i of the outer cloth 11 is welded to the second member 11i, and is firmly joined to the outer cloth 11. The position of the distal end surface of the hook surface 8k on the opposite side to the fastener base member 8b side is preferably located closer to the outer surface side of the outer cloth 11 than the position of the half thickness of the first member 11u of the outer cloth 11, and more preferably the same position as the outer surface of the outer cloth 11. By so doing, the joining of the first hook and loop fastener 5 and the second hook and loop fastener 8 can be performed well. In addition, the appearance quality of the cuff can be improved.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing a distal end region Ee of the blood pressure measurement cuff 1. Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a portion along the line C-C of fig. 10.

As shown in fig. 10, the belt member 10 holds the annular member 20 at a position close to the end edge it. Specifically, as shown in fig. 11, the ring member 20 is attached to the band 10 so as to be sandwiched between the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12. The annular member 20 has an oblong shape extending in the short dimension direction of the strip 10 to be slightly larger than the width of the strip 10.

An auxiliary member 40 having a plate shape that extends in the short-dimension direction and is rectangular in a plan view is provided substantially parallel to the annular member 20 at an end edge it of the band member 10 and an end region Ee between the annular member 20. The auxiliary member 40 is fixed so as to be sandwiched between the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12. The auxiliary member 40 is firmly fixed so that the four sides of the periphery thereof are surrounded by the welding area Wp and the auxiliary member 40 does not move in the surrounded space. Here, in the tip region Ee, the welding region Wp around the auxiliary member 40 is formed at all positions except for the position where the auxiliary member 40 is arranged.

The region formed by welding the two members has higher rigidity than a structure in which the two members are fixed by sewing. The material of the auxiliary member 40 is not particularly limited, but is made of a material harder than the outer fabric 11, for example, a synthetic resin. As for the end region Ee, the entire portion other than the auxiliary member 40 is the welding region Wp, and the hard auxiliary member 40 is contained inside. Therefore, the end region Ee is configured as a region having higher rigidity than the other portions of the strip 10.

As shown in fig. 11, the periphery of the mounting portion of the annular member 20 of the strip-like body 10 is also constituted by the welded region Wp. That is, the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 are also welded in the adjacent region Ce that is opposite to the end region Ee across the annular member 20 and is adjacent to the annular member 20.

In this way, the ring member 20 is firmly attached so as not to move while being surrounded by the welding region Wp. The term "not move" as used herein means that the belt member can swing around the portion where the ring member 20 is attached, but the axis of the swing does not move in the longitudinal direction of the belt member 10.

As shown in fig. 11, the end region Ee is configured such that the width L1 in the longitudinal direction of the belt body 10 is larger than the width L2 of the gap Ts between the ring-shaped member 20 located outside the belt body 10 and the surface of the belt body 10. Therefore, when the end region Ee is moved toward the annular member 20, or when the annular member 20 is moved toward the end region Ee, the end edge it of the strip 10 is less likely to enter the gap Ts.

(Process for producing blood pressure measuring cuff 1)

An example of manufacturing the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 will be described below. In this case, the respective constituent members shown in fig. 3 may be welded and manufactured as follows.

The welding process on the outer cloth 11 side will be explained.

First, the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 is set in the fusion machine so that the first opening 15 is closed by the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 so that the outer cloth 11 is superposed on the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 with the raised surface 5k facing upward. In this state, the second member 11i in the opening peripheral edge portion 15e (see fig. 6) of the first opening portion 15 is welded to the raised surface 5k of the first hook-and-loop fastener 5. Next, the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 is also welded to the outer cloth 11, as in the first hook-and-loop fastener 5.

The welding process on the inner cloth 12 side will be explained.

First, the tube connecting portion 7b is welded to a predetermined position of the bag sheet member 9. Next, the bag sheet member 9 is welded to the inner surface side of the inner fabric 12. The position of the welding region Wps of the bag sheet member 9 is considered not to overlap with most of the welding region Wp of the strip 10 and the welding region Wpf1 of the first hook-and-loop fastener 5.

For example, the width of the bag sheet member 9 in the short-side direction of the strip-like body 10 is set to be located outside the welding region Wpf1 of the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 in the short-side direction. Thereby, the welding area Wps along the long dimension direction of the strip body 10 can be located between the welding area Wpf of the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 and the welding area Wp of the outer edge of the strip body 10. As a result, the welding region Wp, the welding region Wps, and the welding region Wpf1 extending in the longitudinal direction of the strip 10 are prevented from overlapping in the thickness direction of the strip 10. By not overlapping a plurality of weld regions extending in the longitudinal direction, each having rigidity, the rigidity is prevented from increasing at a specific portion of the strip-shaped body 10, and discomfort due to a hardened portion when the strip-shaped body 10 is worn are avoided.

Next, the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 are set in a fusion machine so that the inner surfaces of the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 face each other. In this state, the outer edges of the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 are welded. Here, the region between the adjacent region Ce and the end edge ut is welded.

Next, the ring member 20 and the end it (end region Ee) are welded together. In this welding, the auxiliary member 40 is interposed between the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12, and then the welding is performed. Thereafter, the stopper tube 30 inserted in advance between the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 is moved to a predetermined position on the end edge ut side, and the outer periphery of the stopper tube 30 is welded to form the stopper portion 30b. As described above, the manufacturing process of the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 is completed.

Through the manufacturing process described above, the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 has a seamless structure in which all the fixed portions are formed of welded regions. Specifically, the first hook-and-loop fastener 5, the second hook-and-loop fastener 8, and the air bag 7 are fixed and stored by fusion in the storage space SP formed between the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12. The annular member 20 and the auxiliary member 40 are attached to the end it side of the strip-shaped member 10 by welding. Further, a stopper pipe 30 is attached to the end edge ut side of the strip-like body 10 by welding. In this way, all the assembling of the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 is performed only by welding.

Fig. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 is attached to the upper arm M.

As shown in fig. 12, when measuring the blood pressure, the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 is attached to the upper arm M as the measurement site. In this case, the end edge ut of the strip 10 is passed through the annular member 20 in advance. That is, the stopper 30b is inserted into the gap Ts of the ring member 20 in advance, so that the ring shape of the band-shaped body 10 is always maintained, and the upper arm M can be easily attached.

The arm is inserted through the loop of the band-shaped body 10 thus formed, the air bag 7 is positioned at a predetermined position of the upper arm portion M, and the portion of the band-shaped body 10 inserted through the loop member 20 is pulled back. Then, the band 10 is pressed against the upper arm portion M with an appropriate pressure, and the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 is pressed against the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 to be fixed. During this winding operation, the tip region Ee is not bent accidentally due to its rigidity, and the inner surface thereof is maintained in contact with the upper arm M (in the illustrated state). Therefore, in the state where the winding is completed, the loop member 20 is inverted in the folding direction, and the distal end side 20e thereof is inevitably positioned outside the auxiliary member 40, so that the loop member 20 does not come into direct contact with the upper arm M.

(Effect of cuff 1 for blood pressure measurement)

As described above, according to the blood pressure measurement cuff 1, the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 and the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 are provided inside the band 10. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an object from being caught by the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 and the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 when the band 10 is worn or the like. As a result, the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 and the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 are prevented from being peeled off, and the durability of the cuff 1 for blood pressure measurement can be improved.

Further, the first hook and loop fastener 5 and the second hook and loop fastener 8 are welded to the outer cloth 11. Therefore, the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 can be easily manufactured compared to conventional sewing, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, compared to a structure in which the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 and the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 are fixed to the outer surface of the outer fabric 11 by sewing, the sewn portion and the fastener edge are not visible, and therefore the appearance quality of the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 can be improved.

In addition, according to the cuff 1 for blood pressure measurement, the outer sheet 11 can be made of a material generally used, and the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 and the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 can be welded to the outer sheet 11. Therefore, the band-shaped body 10 can be made of the material of the conventional cuff for blood pressure measurement as it is, and the increase in the manufacturing cost can be prevented.

Further, according to the cuff 1 for blood pressure measurement, in the first hook-and-loop fastener 5, the fastener back surface member 5c having the same stretchability as the first member 11u or lower in stretchability than the first member 11u is provided on the back surface side of the exposed surface exposed from the first opening 15. This can suppress an increase in stretchability of the outer cloth 11 due to the formation of the first opening 15 by the fastener rear surface member 5c. As a result, the compression state of the measurement site suitable for the measurement of the blood pressure can be realized.

Further, according to the cuff 1 for blood pressure measurement, the fastener back surface member 5c is provided on the back surface side of the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 having a large proportion of the outer fabric 11. Therefore, the stretchability of the entire outer fabric 11 can be adequately adjusted. As a result, the compression of the measurement site suitable for the measurement of the blood pressure can be achieved.

Further, according to the cuff 1 for blood pressure measurement, the fastener back surface member 5c is provided on the back surface side of the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 on the side closer to the air bladder 7 that greatly contributes to the compression of the measurement site. This enables the stretchability of the outer cloth 11 in the vicinity of the air bag 7 to be appropriately adjusted. As a result, the compression of the measurement site suitable for the measurement of the blood pressure can be achieved.

Further, according to the blood pressure measurement cuff 1, since the fastener back member is not provided in the second hook-and-loop fastener 8, the member is not added more than necessary, and the structure can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. The second hook-and-loop fastener 8 has a small area and is disposed near the end edge ut. Therefore, even when the stretchability of the outer cloth 11 is slightly increased by the presence of the second opening 18 in the portion of the strip-shaped member 10 corresponding to the second hook-and-loop fastener 8, the influence on the blood pressure measurement can be considered to be slight.

In the blood pressure measuring cuff 1, the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 close to the end region Ee of the annular member 20 are welded while sandwiching the auxiliary member 40. Therefore, the rigidity of the end region Ee can be increased. As a result, the end region Ee can be prevented from passing through the annular member 20. Therefore, the annular member 20 can be prevented from pressing the measurement site in a state of being in contact with the measurement site.

Further, since the conventional sewing portion at the end it of the band-shaped body 10 can be welded to reduce the sewing portion, the durability can be improved, the productivity can be improved, and the appearance quality can be improved.

In particular, according to the cuff 1 for blood pressure measurement, since the welded region Wp is formed in the end region Ee so as to surround the auxiliary member 40, the rigidity of the end region Ee can be effectively increased.

In the blood pressure measurement cuff 1, the ring-shaped member 20 is held by the welded region Wp so as to be surrounded by the end region Ee and the adjacent region Ce. Therefore, the band 10 can be assembled with the gap for holding the annular member 20 reduced. This can sufficiently reduce the movable range of the annular member 20. As a result, the end region Ee can be more strongly prevented from passing through the annular member 20.

In the blood pressure measurement cuff 1, the width L1 of the end region Ee is larger than the width L2 of the gap Ts formed by the annular member 20. Therefore, the end region Ee can be more strongly prevented from passing through the annular member 20.

In the blood pressure measurement cuff 1, the air bladder 7 is formed by fusion-bonding the bag sheet member 9 to the inner cloth 12. Therefore, for example, the work of inserting the air bag between the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 can be omitted without a separate process of manufacturing the air bag. As a result, the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 can reduce the number of parts and manufacturing steps of the air bladder 7, and can reduce the manufacturing cost.

Further, according to the cuff 1 for blood pressure measurement, the air bladder 7 can be formed by welding the inner cloth 12, and therefore the arrangement position of the air bladder 7 can be flexibly determined. For example, as described above, it is also possible to design the strip 10 so as to prevent the welding region Wp, the welding region Wps, and the welding region Wpf1, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the strip 10, from overlapping in the thickness direction of the strip 10. Therefore, the fitting property of the strip-like body 10 can be improved.

In the blood pressure measurement cuff 1, the bag sheet member 9 constituting the air bag 7 is not fixed to the outer fabric 11. Therefore, the outer cloth 11 can be freely processed. As a result, the degree of freedom in designing the cuff can be increased, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. The blood pressure measurement cuff 1 has the following structure: the bag sheet member 9 is formed separately from the outer cloth 11, and the bag sheet member 9 is not fixed to the outer cloth 11. Therefore, noise transmitted from the outer cloth 11 side to the air bladder 7 can be suppressed, and the blood pressure measurement accuracy can be improved.

Further, according to the cuff 1 for blood pressure measurement, the fusion-bonded region Wpf d of the fusion-bonded region Wpf of the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 and the outer fabric 11 is located inside the fusion-bonded region Wps. Therefore, the band 10 in the overlapping region can be prevented from being hardened due to the overlapping of the welding region Wps and the welding region Wpf d. As a result, the fitting property of the strip 10 can be improved.

(modification of cuff 1 for blood pressure measurement)

In the above embodiment, the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 and the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 were both hook-and-loop fasteners, but the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 and the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 may be only ordinary cloth having a napped structure on one side as long as they can be engaged with each other. That is, the following structure may be adopted: the first member 11u of the outer cloth 11 is made of a cloth having a raised structure, and one hook-and-loop fastener capable of being locked to the raised structure of the outer cloth 11 is provided to the outer cloth 11 by welding. In the above embodiment, the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 is the raising surface 5k and the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 is the hook surface 8k as the fastening surfaces, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the reverse configuration is possible.

In the above embodiment, the bag sheet member 9 is welded to only the inner cloth 12 of the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 to form the air bag 7, but the opposite structure may be employed. That is, the bag sheet member 9 may be welded to only the outer cloth 11 of the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 to form the air bag 7. Specifically, the bag sheet member 9 may be welded to the second member 11i of the outer cloth 11 to form the air bag 7. In this case, the welded region between the outer cloth 11 and the bag sheet member 9 may be provided at the same position as the welded region Wps in fig. 2 in a plan view. In this structure, the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 partially overlaps the welding area Wps of the bag sheet member 9. However, a fastener back member 5c is present in the first hook-and-loop fastener 5. Therefore, the bag-use sheet member 9 can be welded to the outer cloth 11 via the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 in the overlapped portion.

In the above embodiment, the annular member 20 is attached between the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be held on the outer surface of the strip 10 by another attachment member, for example.

In the above embodiment, the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 in the end regions Ee are welded while sandwiching the auxiliary member 40, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 in the end regions Ee may be bonded and fixed while holding the auxiliary member 40 therebetween. Similarly, the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 may be bonded and fixed to each other in the adjacent region Ce. The range of the bonded region in this case is the same as the fusion-spliced region Wp. As a method of bonding, a method of applying an adhesive to either one of the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 to bond them, a method of bonding them by heating while a thermosetting adhesive tape is attached to either one of the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12, or the like can be used.

The auxiliary member 40 in the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 is accommodated in a space sealed by the outer fabric 11 and the inner fabric 12, and therefore the auxiliary member 40 does not move substantially in the space. However, in order to more strongly prevent the movement of the auxiliary member 40, it is preferable to adopt a structure in which the auxiliary member 40 is fixed to the outer cloth 11. This modification will be described below with reference to fig. 13 and 14.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing a modification of the end region Ee in the blood pressure measurement cuff 1 shown in fig. 1. Fig. 14 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the tip region Ee shown in fig. 13 along the line C-C. Fig. 13 is the same as fig. 10 except that five fixed regions 40W are added to the end region Ee of the blood pressure measurement cuff 1.

The fixed region 40W is a region where a part of a region of the inner surface (second member 11i shown in fig. 5) of the outer fabric 11 on the side fixed to the inner fabric 12, which region faces the auxiliary member 40, and the auxiliary member 40 are fixed by welding, bonding, or the like. In the example of fig. 13, five fastening regions 40W are arranged at equal intervals in the short direction of the strip 10. Due to the presence of the fastening region 40W, the surface 40A (see fig. 14) of the auxiliary member 40 on the outer cloth 11 side is fastened to the outer cloth 11.

When measuring the blood pressure, the second hook-and-loop fastener 8 is pressed against the first hook-and-loop fastener 5 from the state shown in fig. 12, and the cuff 1 for measuring the blood pressure is fixed to the upper arm M. Then, by supplying and discharging air to and from the air bag 7, the pressing pressure of the upper arm portion M is increased (pressurized) and decreased (depressurized). At the time of this pressure reduction, the region of the outer cloth 11 in the end region Ee, which overlaps with the auxiliary member 40, rubs against the inner cloth 12. Since the fixed area 40W is present, the occurrence of stick-slip between the surface 40A of the auxiliary member 40 and the outer cloth 11 due to friction between the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 at the end area Ee can be prevented. By preventing the occurrence of stick-slip, noise during blood pressure measurement can be suppressed, and blood pressure measurement accuracy can be improved.

In the example of fig. 13, five fixed connection regions 40W are provided, but at least one fixed connection region 40W may be provided. When only one fixed region 40W is provided, the fixed region 40W is preferably provided in the vicinity of the center of the auxiliary member 40 in the short-dimension direction. The fastening region 40W is provided in the auxiliary member 40 in a dot-like manner, but is not limited thereto. For example, the entire surface 40A of the auxiliary member 40 may be fixed to the outer cloth 11, or a linear fixing region extending in the longitudinal direction may be provided in a part of the surface 40A of the auxiliary member 40. According to the structure of fig. 13, there is an advantage that the fastening region 40W can be easily formed. Further, a surface of the auxiliary member 40 opposite to the surface 40A (surface facing the inner cloth 12) may be further fixed to the inner cloth 12. This can further suppress noise. Alternatively, the surface of the auxiliary member 40 opposite to the surface 40A (the surface facing the inner cloth 12) may be fixed to the inner cloth 12, and the surface 40A of the auxiliary member 40 may not be fixed to the outer cloth 11. Even with this configuration, a noise reduction effect by suppressing stick-slip between the inner cloth 12 and the auxiliary member 40 can be expected.

Instead of providing the fixed area 40W, the surface of the outer cloth 11 in the end area Ee and the surface of the inner cloth 12 contactable with the surface may be processed to easily slide each other. With this arrangement, the transmission of force generated by the friction between the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12 to the auxiliary member 40 can be suppressed, and the occurrence of stick-slip can be prevented.

In addition, when the thickness of the auxiliary member 40 is increased, noise due to stick-slip tends to be increased. Therefore, from the viewpoint of suppressing stick-slip, it is preferable to reduce the thickness of the auxiliary member 40. However, it is noted that even if the auxiliary member 40 is made thin, it is difficult to completely suppress stick-slip.

As an example, the auxiliary member 40 has a rectangular plate shape. The corners of the rectangular plate are preferably rounded (chamfered). The auxiliary member 40 has rounded corners, so that pain when the corners of the auxiliary member 40 touch the measurement site can be reduced. Further, the corners of the auxiliary member 40 can be prevented from breaking the outer cloth 11 and the inner cloth 12.

While various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above examples. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made within the scope of the claims and it is needless to say that these modifications and variations are within the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the respective components in the above embodiments may be arbitrarily combined without departing from the scope of the invention.

The present application is based on Japanese patent application No. 2020-126733 filed on 7/27/2020 and Japanese patent application No. 2021/2/26 (Japanese patent application No. 2021-030092), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Description of the reference numerals

1: a blood pressure measurement cuff;

5: a first hook and loop fastener;

5c: a fastener back member;

5e: a peripheral side portion;

5k: a frosted surface (fastening surface);

8k is as follows: a hook surface (fastening surface);

7: an air bag;

7b: a tube connecting portion;

8: a second hook and loop fastener;

10: a band-shaped body;

11: an outer cloth (first skin member);

11u, 12u: a first member;

11i, 12i: a second member;

12: an inner cloth (second skin member);

15: a first opening portion;

15e: an opening peripheral edge portion;

18: a second opening portion;

20: an annular member;

40: an auxiliary member;

ce: a contiguous region;

ee: a tip region;

it: an end edge;

ut: an end edge;

ts: a gap;

and (Wp): a welding region (first welding region);

and (Wps): a welding region (second welding region);

wpf1: a welding region (third welding region);

wpf2: a fused region.

Claims

1. A cuff for measuring blood pressure is provided with:

a band-shaped body formed by a first skin member and a second skin member facing the first skin member, the second skin member enclosing a fluid bag;

an annular member held at a position close to one end edge in the longitudinal direction of the strip body and extending in the short-side direction of the strip body; and

an auxiliary member that is housed in the band-shaped body and extends in the short-side direction inside a terminal region between the one end edge in the long-side direction and the annular member,

the first skin member and the second skin member in the tip region are welded or bonded in a state of sandwiching the auxiliary member.

2. The cuff for measuring blood pressure according to claim 1, wherein,

a welding region or a bonding region of the first skin member and the second skin member in the tip region is formed so as to surround the auxiliary member.

3. The cuff for measuring blood pressure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the ring-like member is fitted so as to be sandwiched by the first skin member and the second skin member,

the first skin member and the second skin member are further welded or bonded in an adjoining region that is on the opposite side of the distal region with the annular member interposed therebetween and that adjoins the annular member.

4. The cuff for measuring blood pressure according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the width of the end region in the longitudinal direction is larger than a gap between the belt-like body and the annular member located outside the belt-like body.

5. The cuff for measuring blood pressure according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the auxiliary member-side face of the first skin member in the tip region is fixedly joined to the auxiliary member.

6. The cuff for measuring blood pressure according to claim 5, wherein,

the first skin member is a member that does not come into contact with the measurement area in a state where the band-shaped body is wound around and fixed to the measurement area,

the second skin member is a member on a side that is in contact with the measurement site in the state.